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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Insider, post: 2309250, member: 24314&quot;]Further up this thread is a photo of an Albanian coin.&nbsp; I claim that virtually every line/hairline visible in the photo is a result of die polishing at the Albanian Mint.&nbsp; Some have said I am misinformed.&nbsp; One member (I cannot find his post to quote here) said he collects this country and PCGS graded it due to its rarity ( AM STILL WAITING TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY GRADED IT).&nbsp; The informed poster hinted that the coin is scratched up and not original.</p><p><br /></p><p>I have added a micrograph of another coin with scratches at the bottom of the post.&nbsp; I&#039;m very interested in comments by everyone here But ESPECIALLY by two of you who originally posted opinions on the cleaning and unoriginality of the Albania 5 Fr. with the unknown <u><span style="color: rgb(179, 0, 0)">(to me)</span></u>TPGS grade.</p><p><br /></p><p>Finally, I wrote the following and it contains an error as was pointed out below by Numismat: <span style="color: rgb(179, 0, 0)">Correction in red.</span></p><p>Everyone, and I mean everyone...Mint engravers, mint press operators, mint floor foremen, well-known numismatic authorities on the minting process will tell you that the cartwheel effect we all like to see on our coins is caused by die erosion <span style="color: rgb(179, 0, 0)">(grooves in the die due to metal flow across the die face as coins are struck.</span> The die wear does not create the luster <span style="color: rgb(179, 0, 0)">(on the metal die which REFLECTS LIGHT from its surface) </span> (it is already on the metal planchet <span style="color: rgb(179, 0, 0)">[which also reflects light]</span>) it enhances and changes the luster.&nbsp; <span style="color: rgb(179, 0, 0)">Because the appearance/quality of the MINT LUSTER on the coin depends on the condition of the die and&nbsp; planchet. </span></p><p><br /></p><p>Numismat replied: Dude, this is cringe-worthy. The fresher the die, the smoother the cartwheel effect.<span style="color: rgb(179, 0, 0)">Yes, and with really fresh dies the &quot;cartwheel&quot; is different/virtually not there as on coins that are struck later in the die life.</span> When you have a worn die there are tiny stops and gaps <span style="color: rgb(179, 0, 0)">I know what you are saying; we call them &quot;radials.&quot;</span> that make the cartwheel effect look, well, pixelated is the best word I can use to describe it. This</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>We have been discussing Cabinet Friction vs wear. In the interest of this thread, I posted <span style="color: rgb(179, 0, 0)">(See #224 above) </span>a micrograph of a high point on a gold coin.&nbsp; So far there have been no opinions...[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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